CHINO >> Resident Jack Ingram warned Chino Valley Unified board members that giving their political views on a school district platform is grounds for recall.

Speaking during public comment at the board’s meeting last week, the Don Lugo High School alumnus highly criticized board members for using the district as a forum, a “bully pulpit” he said, to publish their views on the transgender bill that was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown this summer.

“It is not in the bylaws or charter of this board – nor is it the duty of this board, least of all its individual members – to use this board as a forum, a bully pulpit, to espouse and publish their own personal prejudicial, and discriminatory political views,” said Ingram, whose great uncle Benson Ingram was once president of the school board.

“The fiduciary duty you owe to the public is to implement state and federal laws for public education of all. You are not educators, you are not lawmakers – you are bureaucrats; your job is to implement policy, not make it, not opine on it, or your perception of its merits,” Ingram continued.

“Replacing public policy with personal political preferences is grounds for recall of any and all board members who so conflates the law with personal prejudices.”

Despite Ingram’s plea, Chino Valley Unified board members voted 4-1 at its Thursday meeting in favor of a resolution that opposes Assembly Bill 1266, a state law that will require public schools to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on the gender they identify with and to gender-restricted activities like sports.

The California law goes into effect Jan. 1.

The district’s resolution reads that while they already allow students, regardless of sex, to participate in sex-segrated athletic teams and competitions, “there is grave concern about the portion of the law which would add: ‘and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.’”

Board member James Na, who is in favor of a proposed ballot initiative that would freeze that law, said he would sign any resolution to protect the safety of children.

“If I went into a woman’s bathroom I more than likely would be cited, arrested or jailed easily,” he said. “This could jeopardize so many women.”

On July 24, the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights reached an agreement with Arcadia Unified School District to resolve sex discrimination allegation regarding a transgender student’s ability to use facilities and participate in activities consistant with the student’s gender identity.

The Arcadia Unified student, a girl, identified as a boy.

A group called Privacy for All Students, which opposes the bill, is looking to put the issue before the voters in November 2014.

Supporters of the repeal need to gather 504,760 signatures by Nov. 12 of this year.

“This has all the earmarks of a cultural war battle to be decided by California voters,” said Carl Cohn, director of the Urban Leadership Program and clinical professor in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

Board member Irene Hernandez-Blair, who cast the lone negative vote, said the district should be preparing themselves for implementing the law, rather than passing a resolution that is “null and void.”

“This district is bound to carry out what the law says. I think what would better serve our students and community is to have a two-sided conversation, possibly a work group, community group where we can determine if ever we are posed with a student who requires use of a different facility that we handle it with sensitivity,” she said.

Chino Valley Unified’s student representative Stephaine Lewis said while she wants to protect student privacy she is also against discrimination.

“I’m feeling conflicted on this issues,” she said at the board meeting.

Some educators agree with Ingram saying that the board members are hoping their constituents are going to appreciate them taking a stance on the issue and will express that at the ballot box the next time their seat is up.

“It’s one thing to say a city council would make this sort of move, but for a school district – schools are supposed to be a supportive environment, schools are supposed to provide all kids a nurturing environment. It is really unfortunate that they’ve done this,” said David Speak, political science professor at Cal Poly Pomona.

Speak said the board’s action will now discourage a transgender student from approaching an educator to ask how they can get access to a different bathroom or locker room.

“And if I were the parent of kid like that I’d have to say, ‘Wow, I’m not sure you should make that kind of request in an environment that is so hostile,’” he said. “They’ve creative a hostile environment, which is exactly the way that the state legislation was trying to prevent.”

A portion of AB1266 that stood out to board President Sylvia Orozco reads that there are no provision to guard against the privacy and security concerns of the students who might be disturbed about sharing restrooms and show facilities with a student of another sex.

“If it does indeed become law the board will have to address the issue,” she said. “And I also agree that we have to represent all students.”

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